Eden Foods

Eden Foods began as a natural food cooperative in Ann Arbor, Mich. in 1968. At the time there was virtually no organic farming on a commercial scale. Farmers at that time did not grow without the use of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. Eden Foods slowly developed a network of family farms, suppliers and businesses that grew grain, soy foods, sea vegetables and vegetable oil organically. The small co-op grew into a retail store and the Eden brand was born. The company produced whole grain stone ground flours and its own roaster and mixer made cereals. Eden bottled unrefined vegetable oils, filled jars with sesame butter and made nut butters with a Hobart grinder. The store thrived and expanded with a cafeteria, bakery and book section. It was one of the few places in the United States where you could get miso, sea vegetables and organic whole grain foods. In 1972 Eden moved into a warehouse and established direct relations with the most highly respected makers of Japanese traditional food. It began to distribute Eden sea vegetables, teas, miso, shoyu, umeboshi plums, kuzu root starch, rice vinegar, rice bran pickles, mirin, whole grains and dry beans to stores, bakeries and co-ops throughout the Midwest. Eden s Clinton, Mich. headquarters is 26 acres with native woods, wetlands and organic gardens and home to the main offices, warehouse, organic mill and production line. Eden West, the warehouse and offices in San Francisco, is a distribution link to the Western U.S., Canada and the Pacific Rim.